Agartala: Altogether 17 students scheduled to take B Ed examinations in West Bengal, along with other passengers, faced significant disruption when their Air India Express Boeing flight from Agartala airport to Kolkata was cancelled due to technical issues on Thursday.
Tensions escalated in the departure lounge when airline authorities were unable to accommodate passengers on alternative flights. Passengers criticised the state govt for allowing airlines to charge excessive fares whilE providing poor service consistently without any intervention.
An Air India official said, "The Air India Express flight to Kolkata in the morning was cancelled late last night due to some serious technical reasons and it was immediately communicated to the passengers on their phone numbers. But managing seats for 182 passengers in other scheduled flights on the day is impossible."
Officials referenced DGCA guidelines, which permit flight cancellations six hours before departure, requiring airlines to arrange alternative flights or refund fares. They assured they were prioritising getting passengers to Kolkata.
The situation was particularly critical for 17 B Ed students who needed to reach West Bengal for examinations starting Friday. Many claimed they received no prior notification about the cancellation. The situation worsened when airline staff initially avoided passenger interactions and later expressed inability to arrange alternative transport.
The tension peaked when frustrated passengers confronted the Air India manager, threatening legal action. Airport authorities had to intervene after airline staff left the scene to restore order.
A student complained, "If we cannot write the exam tomorrow, we will lose one year and Air India has to compensate for it. They did not arrange our alternative travel or provide us with minimum service in the lounge. Instead, the officials misbehaved with several female passengers and attempted to forcefully pull us out from the airport premises."
A passenger travelling with a patient said, "For only 327 kilometres distance between Agartala and Kolkata, the airlines are charging Rs 7,000-15,000 per passenger. But the govt clears hands by saying airfare was deregulated and determined by market forces, which is not acceptable. Govt must regulate the airfare and stop the unethical business of the aviation industry."